Full of Glass...

I had the NICEST visit today from Jackie and Chris Rice of CNY glass. (www.cnyglass.com, www.cnyglass.blogspot.com) They were so down to earth, pleasant and artistic! I went a little crazy with a shopping spree, but I just love glass so much I couldn't help myself.


How cool is that toggle!

I keep meeting these great people who are my age and who I want to be friends with, and they all live far away. Speaking of which, "shout out" to my stalker in the Utica region! I heart you!

Back to Chris and Jackie. Wow. I want to take a class with them. I never knew how much I like lamp work. But it's amazing the color and depth that can be created with glass. Chris did one piece that looks like a little vial (I've been obsessed, by the way, with small glass vials and perfume containers since I saw the BBC version of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe circa 1988 . The way I remember it, Lucy had this little glass vial that had a magic potion in it that could cure wounds. I'm actually re-reading the series now, and as it turns out, the "vial" was more flask size and supposedly made of diamonds. I had a ruby red version in my 8 year old mind. But I digress.) I'm super tempted to keep it, because it's so freaking amazing, but it doesn't actually open, and that was part of the obsession. I actually found the perfect little vial a few years ago at the antique fest in Bouckville, ruby red glass, sterling filigreed top...but it was around 200 dollars, and that was beyond my budget. Again, digressing.
Jackie makes these amazing pendants with flowers that she (to my understanding) kind of paints on meticulously with strands of glass. Freaking crazy. I did keep one of the little daisy beads for myself. I really love flowers. I also kept a bottle opener (a house-warming gift is my justification..oh, by the way, I'm in the process of acquiring my dream house! Hope to be a home-owner by October). Um...and a ring, but I might put that one out for sale eventually. Man, I'm bad. Glass is just too cool.

Speaking of glass...tonight I taught my first Copper Enameling class. And now that it's over, I can admit that I was losing sleep over it. I've only just dabbled in enamels, and I didn't know what I really could offer. But I determined that I do actually know more than some, so the class was a success, and my students Wendy, Karen and Melissa claimed to really enjoy the class and loved the pieces they made (I say "claimed" in jest. They did actually quite enjoy the process!) They were troopers too, working on fairly delicate work on an uneven floor and wobbly table. Wendy's two daughters came along and stayed in the store, coloring and drawing these GREAT pictures of Mario and Pokemon from memory. I was pretty impressed, as someone who grew up with the "dawning of the age of Nintendo(ious)" . They were such sweet, polite girls, and a breath of fresh air after crisis work. Check out the work of Wendy, Karen and Melissa!

.